YMCA community :)

This has been my third trip overseas with the YMCA in the four years that I've been working with YMCA white rose in Yorkshire - and the first time that my wife has joined me half way through. Mainly, I suspect, because we weren't married on my previous two trips otherwise she'd flown out to join me then as well.

One thing I love about working for the ymca, and the opportunity we have to go on trips such as Unify, is the family feel to it. The sense of community. The sense of doing life together. 

As a natural introvert I sometimes get overwhelmed by the busyness and the fact that you have to put on a social happy face all the time...or so you think. Sometimes I just need to retreat to my room and have 5 by myself.

Today, I've been able to play tourist with my wife whilst the rest of the delegates have blessed the local community in different ways. Some have led a sports outreach in Lublin town centre; others have made a ymca banner for the venue we've been staying at; others have been at a orphanage or a old peoples home, whilst others have been to a Nazi Concentration Camp from World War II to give flowers and bible verses to those visiting the centre. 

In the midst of it all, Gods been in it. Part of me has wanted to join in with the conference - but sometimes, the Godly thing to do is to spend the day with your family - whether that be your wife, your parents, your siblings, your grandparents or aunts and uncles and cousins etc. Its great being a part of the YMCA family - and it's great being able to include your biological family in that as well. 

If you've never been to visit another ymca, I'd encourage you to go and do so. It needn't be a ymca overseas - there's plenty of great YMCAs in the UK, and the chances are that there's a couple within a hours drive of where you live. Google them. Invite yourself to go and visit them and find out what they do. Build friendships with their staff. Invite them to come and visit your ymca and find out what you do. If you're struggling to find a ymca to go and visit them come and visit us at ymca white rose in Yorkshire - my email address is Jonathan.buckley@ymcawhiterose.org.uk. 

Or, if you wanna meet 15-20 YMCAs in one day, come and join us at the UK unify residential next month at regents college, Malvern. Day and residential tickets are available - it'd be great to see you - Google 'Unify YMCA' and you won't go wrong :)

God bless

Jon buckley